“I’m gonna barf,” Zephyr deadpanned, looking back and forth between us. “Skye? Explain what we’re doing here.”
I cleared my throat.
“Remember how I told you about my parents?” I asked, taking Aiden’s huge hand in both of mine. His eyes softened and he nodded, giving me a look of compassion and sympathy.
“Of course, baby.”
I chewed my lip for a second before blowing out a breath and finally speaking the words I hadn’t dared think for over a decade. “Levi isn’t dead.”
Aiden blinked at me. His warm eyes jumped from my face to Zephyr behind me, then back.
“Levi isn’t dead,” he repeated. “Is he, uh…behind this door?”
I nodded, swallowing hard.
“He’s not a zombie, is he?”
I chuckled, then shook my head while Zephyr barked out a laugh.
“Oh, good.” Aiden said, looking genuinely relieved. “I thought for a second you were about to tell me Zephyr had an affinity for speaking to ghosts.”
Zephyr’s responding laugh was a little too high-pitched, and I elbowed him hard in the ribs using a bit of my affinity. Zephyr coughed, almost doubling over.
“Oh, shit, you okay?” I asked, glaring at him.
“Fine,” Zephyr wheezed. “Let’s get the introductions over with.”
I waved my hand, unlocking the heavy door, and Zephyr hobbled through before we followed.
Aiden tugged me to a stop on the darkened staircase as Zephyrdisappeared into the beam of light coming from the living space of the basement.
“Baby,” Aiden whispered. “Are you okay with this?”
I shrugged. “He’s important to me.”
Aiden breathed out a laugh. “I’m not arguing whether or not I should be meeting your dad. I’m wondering if you’re okay with it. Is it too much? Too fast?” Aiden gulped, then said into my mind,Also holy fuck. Did he hear us before? In the shower?
I snorted before kissing him gently, and then he crushed me into a hug so tight I could barely breathe.
“No,” I wheezed.He…he can’t hear…anything.
Aiden froze for a moment before he loosened his hold on me, holding me at arm’s length and staring at me with wide eyes.
“He’s deaf?” he asked quietly.
“No,” I winced. “He…was. Sort of. His hearing was damaged in the massacre, but Zephyr was healing him all during first term. So he can hear again.”
“Wow,” Aiden said. “That must have been hard, dealing with your dad being sort of deaf all these years. He could still do other things, right?”
I winced again. “No, he was…he’s paralyzed. Up until the other day he could only move his face and sometimes his neck.”
Aiden blew out a breath and ran one of his hands over the back of my head. “That’s a lot to handle, baby.”
Tell me about it.
“I used to speak to him telepathically,” I explained as we started down the stairs again. “Only since we got back did I learn he was healed enough to speak again.”
“Okay. How should I speak to him?” Aiden asked. “Is he expecting me? Should I introduce myself, tell him my affinity, tell him I would die for you? Is he going to kick my ass either way? Fuck, I’ve never met a chick’s dad before.” He scrubbed a hand down his face.
